In order to produce driver assistance devices such as traffic sign recognition or a lane departure warning system, camera systems require a horizontal viewing angle of approx. 50 degrees and a vertical viewing angle of approx. 30 degrees. However, new functions such as cross traffic or traffic light recognition notably require a much larger viewing angle in order to be able to detect objects located in the peripheral area of the image during tailgating. In contrast, highly automated driving or a lane departure warning system, for example, also requires recognition of objects and roadway structures at a great distance, necessitating a corresponding resolution.
In connection with this, camera systems with at least two optoelectronic systems are known, for example, which differ at least in the viewing angle and/or in the angle resolution, in order to consequently meet the opposing requirements of detecting the central area with a long range and detecting a wide-angle area for recognizing cross traffic. Thus, the printed publication DE102004061998A1, for example, describes a device for a motor vehicle with at least one first camera and at least one second camera, the first and the second camera differing in at least one camera property.
The disadvantages of such camera systems are, for example, the data quantities to be processed as well as the considerable costs due to the plurality of optoelectronics which are the most expensive components of a camera system.